Impact of Ready to Learn and Play Framework on Occupational Performance for Children With Autism

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512515366p1-7512515366p1
Author(s):  
Janis Leinfuss ◽  
Erin Ohara

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have sensory processing difficulties that impact their occupations. Data were analyzed comparing SCOPE scores at pre- and posttest for children receiving standard-care OT or Ready to Learn and Play (RtLP) framework plus standard care. The intervention group showed statistically significant improvement in SCOPE scores over the control group. The RtLP framework shows promise as an evidence-based tool to positively impact the occupational performance of students with ASD. Primary Author and Speaker: Janis Leinfuss Additional Authors and Speakers: Erin Ohara

Author(s):  
Nobuyo Kubo ◽  
Megumi Kitagawa ◽  
Sayaka Iwamoto ◽  
Toshifumi Kishimoto

Abstract Background Caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often experience difficulties in responding appropriately to the needs of those children, who typically express attachment in distinct and nonconventional ways. This highlights the need for an attachment-based approach targeted at caregivers of children with ASD. Circle of Security Parenting (COSP), an attachment-based parenting program, is designed to increase caregivers’ sensitivity to children’s attachment needs. The aim of this study was to provide verification of the effectiveness of COSP in mothers of children with ASD. Methods This study was a non-randomized controlled trial. Sixty mothers of children with ASD aged 4–12 were recruited. Twenty mothers received the COSP intervention, while 40 did not. The characteristics of children in the control group were matched with those of the intervention group. To evaluate the outcomes of the intervention, changes in parental self-efficacy and mental health were assessed using the Tool to Measure Parenting Self-Efficacy (TOPSE) and the General Health Questionnaire-30 (GHQ-30). The children’s improvement in emotional and behavioral problems was assessed from the mothers’ perspective using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Both groups completed the assessments in parallel. Evaluations were compared between baseline (T1) and 6-month follow-up (T2). Results Scores for self-efficacy and mental health of mothers and behavior of children were significantly improved from T1 to T2 in the intervention group, but not in the control group. Participants’ mental health was markedly worsened in the control group. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the COSP program for mothers of children with ASD improved their parental self-efficacy and mental health, and reduced their subjective sense of difficulties related to their children’s behaviors. Our findings support the effectiveness of the attachment-based program for mothers of children with ASD, providing the groundwork for further studies of the attachment-based intervention for children with ASD and their families. Future studies with larger samples and randomization are also needed for direct evaluation of the improvement of children's attachment security, and for exploration of the synergistic relationship between various family support strategies and COSP. Trial Registration This trial was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (No. UMIN000039574)


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
R A K Kennedy ◽  
C M E Reynolds ◽  
S Cawley ◽  
E O’Malley ◽  
D M McCartney ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Maternal nutrition is a determinant of pregnancy outcomes. Few studies have evaluated the potential of online nutrition resources to modify behaviour. This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine whether access to a customized evidence-based nutrition website in pregnancy improved neonatal outcomes. Methods Women <18 weeks gestation were recruited at their convenience. The control group received standard care. In addition to standard care, the intervention group received access to an evidence-based nutrition website, customized to the preferences of pregnant women. Results Of the 250 women, there were no differences in characteristics between the two groups. Of the women, 91.0% reported they make a conscious effort currently to eat a healthy diet. However, only 19.6% met dietary requirements for calcium, 13.2% for iron, 2.7% for folate and 2.3% for iodine. The most popular website section was pregnancy nutrition advice but engagement was not sustained. Access to the website was not associated with any improvement in clinical outcomes (P > 0.05). Conclusions We found that provision of a customized website providing nutrition information, did not improve neonatal outcomes. Future studies should explore whether redesign with website interactivity or embedding information on popular digital platforms sustains women’s engagement and modifies dietary behaviour.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Way Kwok Wai LAU ◽  
TAI Pui Lun Alan ◽  
LAU Sin-Yan Cathy

This study examined the effect of a 10-week integrated intervention on communication and repetitive behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Eighteen participants (age 4-7 years) diagnosed with ASD were assigned to the intervention group (nine participants) or the passive control group. Changes in communication and repetitive behavior were assessed by the Chinese PsychoEducational Profile, 3rd edition (CPEP-3). After the intervention, group-by-time interaction effects on the improvement of characteristic motor behavior were observed (ղ2p=.689, p=.0001, 90% CI=.379 to .795). Post-hoc analyses showed that such improvement was better in the intervention group (ղ2=.889, p=.0004, 90% CI=.623 to .930) than the control group (ղ2=.498, p=.043, 90% CI=.050 to .693). On the other hand, a main effect of time was observed on the improvement of communication across both groups. Our findings suggest that this integrated intervention may provide a beneficial influence on repetitive behavior in children with ASD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-193
Author(s):  
Caroline Jennifer Mills ◽  
Christine Chapparo ◽  
Joanne Hinitt

Purpose Sensory processing difficulties can negatively affect children with autism at school. There is limited evidence to guide practice in this area. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a sensory activity schedule (SAS) used in a school setting on task mastery and occupational performance in the classroom. Design/methodology/approach A randomised control trial (RCT) was conducted with 30 children to evaluate the efficacy of a school-based SAS. Children in the intervention group received SAS intervention and usual teaching. Children in the control group received only usual teaching. Outcome measures were the perceive, recall, plan and perform stage one procedural task analysis and goal attainment scaling. Findings Children in the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in school performance when compared with the control group in both outcome measures. Research limitations/implications This was a pilot study with small sample size, so results should be interpreted with caution. Further research is needed to replicate these findings. Practical implications A classroom-based SAS may have a positive effect on classroom performance for children with autism. This has implications for professionals who support children with autism and sensory processing difficulties in a school setting. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study was the first of its kind in evaluating SAS intervention in a school setting using RCT methodology.


2009 ◽  
Vol 364 (1535) ◽  
pp. 3567-3574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Baron-Cohen ◽  
Ofer Golan ◽  
Emma Ashwin

Children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have major difficulties in recognizing and responding to emotional and mental states in others' facial expressions. Such difficulties in empathy underlie their social-communication difficulties that form a core of the diagnosis. In this paper we ask whether aspects of empathy can be taught to young children with ASC. We review a study that evaluated The Transporters , an animated series designed to enhance emotion comprehension in children with ASC. Children with ASC (4–7 years old) watched The Transporters every day for four weeks. Participants were tested before and after intervention on emotional vocabulary and emotion recognition at three levels of generalization. The intervention group improved significantly more than a clinical control group on all task levels, performing comparably to typical controls at time 2. The discussion centres on how vehicles as mechanical systems may be one key reason why The Transporters caused the improved understanding and recognition of emotions in children with ASC. The implications for the design of autism-friendly interventions are also explored.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Xu ◽  
Jian Yang ◽  
Jing Yao ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
Xiangxiang Zhuang ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to pilot test the effects of a culturally adapted early intervention influenced by the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) on reduction of autism symptoms and severity categorization for young children with autism spectrum disorders in China. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention groups. The children’s age ranged from 24 to 60 months in this study. Children in the control group ( n = 20) received eclectic intervention services for a minimum of 2 hr per day, 10 hr per week, while children in the intervention group ( n = 16) received the culturally adapted intervention 1 hr per day, 5 hr per week, plus 5 hr per week of the same services as the control group for a total of 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, children in the intervention group demonstrated a significant decrease in autism symptoms and improved severity categorization, compared with children in the control group. Future studies and implications of the culturally adapted early intervention in China are discussed.


Author(s):  
Ana Gentil-Gutiérrez ◽  
José Luis Cuesta-Gómez ◽  
Paula Rodríguez-Fernández ◽  
Jerónimo Javier González-Bernal

(1) Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently have difficulties in processing sensory information, which is a limitation when participating in different contexts, such as school. The objective of the present study was to compare the sensory processing characteristics of children with ASD in the natural context of school through the perception of professionals in the field of education, in comparison with neurodevelopmental children (2) Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study as conducted with study population consisting of children between three and ten years old, 36 of whom were diagnosed with ASD and attended the Autismo Burgos association; the remaining 24 had neurotypical development. The degree of response of the children to sensory stimuli at school was evaluated using the Sensory Profile-2 (SP-2) questionnaire in its school version, answered by the teachers. (3) Results: Statistically significant differences were found in sensory processing patterns (p = 0.001), in sensory systems (p = 0.001) and in school factors (p = 0.001). Children with ASD who obtained worse results. (4) Conclusions: Children with ASD are prone to present sensory alterations in different contexts, giving nonadapted behavioral and learning responses.


Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110016
Author(s):  
Eliana Hurwich-Reiss ◽  
Colby Chlebowski ◽  
Teresa Lind ◽  
Kassandra Martinez ◽  
Karin M Best ◽  
...  

This study identified patterns of therapist delivery of evidence-based intervention strategies with children with autism spectrum disorder within publicly funded mental health services and compared patterns for therapists delivering usual care to those trained in AIM HI (“An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for ASD”). Data were drawn from a randomized community effectiveness trial and included a subsample of 159 therapists (86% female) providing outpatient or school-based psychotherapy. Therapist strategies were measured via observational coding of psychotherapy session recordings. Exploratory factor analysis used to examine patterns of strategy delivery showed that among therapists in the usual care condition, strategies loaded onto the single factor, General Strategies, whereas for therapists in the AIM HI training condition, strategies grouped onto two factors, Autism Engagement Strategies and Active Teaching Strategies. Among usual care therapists, General Strategies were associated with an increase in child behavior problems, whereas for AIM HI therapists, Active Teaching Strategies were associated with reductions in child behavior problems over 18 months. Results support the effectiveness of training therapists in evidence-based interventions to increase the specificity of strategies delivered to children with autism spectrum disorder served in publicly funded mental health settings. Findings also support the use of active teaching strategies in reducing challenging behaviors. Lay abstract This study was conducted to identify patterns of therapist delivery of evidence-based intervention strategies with children with autism spectrum disorder receiving publicly funded mental health services and compare strategy use for therapists delivering usual care to those trained to deliver AIM HI (“An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for ASD”), an intervention designed to reduce challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. For therapists trained in AIM HI, intervention strategies grouped onto two factors, Autism Engagement Strategies and Active Teaching Strategies, while strategies used by usual care therapists grouped onto a broader single factor, General Strategies. Among usual care therapists, General Strategies were related to an increase in child behavior problems, whereas for AIM HI therapists, Active Teaching Strategies were related with reductions in child behavior problems over 18 months. Findings support the use of active teaching strategies in reducing challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder and provide support for the effectiveness of training therapists in evidence-based interventions to promote the delivery of targeted, specific intervention strategies to children with autism spectrum disorder in mental health services.


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